Milk filter dispenser

ABSTRACT

The apparatus is designed particularly for dispensing flat, folded milk filters from packages of the same. The filters are held horizontally in the bag in which they are received, which is opened and one end of the filters extends beyond the open end of the bag. The filters are removed manually, one at a time, through an opening at one end of the bottom of the dispenser.

206/57 R x 206/57 R United States Patent RobertJ.Matthews 2,391,301 12/1945 Dukehart,Jr................. R0. BOX 9101, Canton, Ohio 44709 3,095,087 6/1963 Yates [21] AppLNo. 889,233 3,127,225 3/1964 Oehrlein..... [22] Filed Dec.30,l969 3,367,487 2/1968 Dwyer,.lr..................... [45] Patented Jan. 4, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS 393,008 6/1933 GreatBritain................ [54] MILK FILTERDISPENSER 1,479,093 4/1967 France 2 1111 ,6D F1 503,280 12 1954 1taly....... C m wing gs s-2s,157 2/1956 Germany......................

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dispensing flat, folded milk filters from packages of the same.

The filters are held horizontally in the bag in which they are received, which is opened and one end of the filters extends beyond the open end of the bag. The filters are removed 221/33 manually, one at a time, through an opening at one end of the 232/433! UX bottom of the dispenser.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,525 1/1942 Fleischer......................

1,879,858 9/1932 Schroedter...............

PATENTEB 4 m2 SHEET 1 UF 2 ROBERT J. MATTHEWS ATTORNEY Pmsmeum 41% $632,017

SHEET 2 BF 2 IN VliNl 1k.

ROBERT J. MATTHEWS ATTORNEY MILK FILTER DISPENSER The dispenser of this invention is designed particularly for dispensing milk filters. These filters are tubular and closed at one end. They are sold in bags, usually transparent, in which they are folded flat and are arranged face-to-face, in a stacklike relation. The bags are closed at one end by suitable means such as a cord or the like which brings the walls of the open end of the bag together. By removal of the closure, and shifting the filters so that one end projects from the bag they are easily removed from the bag, one at a time.

It is necessary that the filters be dispensed in a hygienic manner, and production regulations in most jurisdictions require that the filters be put into the dispenser while still within the bags in which they are sold. The dispensers of this invention are designed for dispensing the filters one at a time while still in the original container so as to meet all such requirements.

As the first step in the process, the cord or other member which closes the bag is removed so that the end of the bag can be opened wide. The relative relation of the filters and the bag is shifted somewhat so that one end of all of the filters extends beyond the open end 'of the bag so that they can easily be grasped and removed, one at a time, from the bag.

One end of the bottom of the dispenser is provided with a trap door, usually a spring-pressed door so that when no open for the removal of a filter it is closed to preserve the cleanliness of the filters.

The invention is further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the dispenser, taken from the front and somewhat below the dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the rear of the dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the dispenser which contains an open bag with the filters extending from one end of the bag, above the trap door in the bottom of the dispenser, the handle to the trap door being broken away;

FIG. 4 is a detail of the bottom of one end of the dispenser, in section, showing the trap door of the dispenser open, and one of the filters partially removed from the dispenser;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the dispenser on the line 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of a bag containing the folded filters, as purchased.

The folded filters are rectangular so that the bottom 5 of the dispenser is rectangular. All sides of the dispenser are rectilinear or substantially so, including the two ends 7 and 8, the front and rear walls 9 and 10, and the top 11.

The end 12 of the bottom toward the wall 7 is hinged at 13 so as to open as a trap door, as shown in FIG. 4. The door is provided with the handle 14 which may be replaced by any suitable type of handle.

The trap door 12 may be held in position by any type of spring hinge arrangement. That shown comprises the two ends of the spring 15 aligned against surfaces 16 and 17, respectively, of the hinge which are fastened to the bottom 5 of the dispenser and the trap door 12. These two parts are pivoted at l8, and the coil spring 15 keeps the trap 12 closed except when it is intentionally opened.

The filters 19 are marketed in flat, folded condition in the bag 20. The bottom 21 of the bag is usually sealed closed and the other end 22 is not sealed but is closed by a cord 23 or other member which brings the sides of the bag together. Thus, when the bag is to be opened for the removal of filters 19 the end 24 is not torn open, which would produce an irregular edge, but the member 23 is removed. It is conceivable that instead of gathering the open end 22 together as shown, the end of the bag might be cut off to expose the filters, but that is not usual, and even then it would be necessary for dispensing the filters to shift them with respect to the open end 24 of the bag so that the ends 33 of the filters extend beyond the open end 24 of the bag as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

To facilitate placing the bag of filters into the dispenser with the filters stacked on one another, it is desirable to provide a false end 35 In the dispenser, which slants Inward toward the bottom of the dispenser so as to cause the filters to feed into a space at the bottom of the bag which is narrower than the space at the top. The false end 35 is not permanently attached to the end 7 but simply hangs on the end 7. This mode of attachment allows the false end 35 to be removed for easy cleaning. The bottom of this false end 35 is advantageously provided with a finger-sized opening 37 through which a finger may be inserted to engage the end of the bottom filter of the stack within the dispenser. The end 7 of the dispenser covers the hole 37 so as to prevent dust from entering. The end of the bottom filter is lowered by the engaging finger and then grasped to slide it from the bottom of the stack as illustrated in FIG. 4. After each removal of a filter, the spring closes the trap door.

The dispenser is covered with any suitable cover arrangement 11 which excludes dust and dirt. A separable cover is desirable because this facilitates introduction of a bag of filters.

It is advantageous to provide strips 41 (FIG. 2) on the back of the dispenser with keyhole openings 42 in them so that the dispenser can easily be located on screws or the like which project from a wall.

I claim:

1. A generally rectilinear dispenser for milk filters which is longer than it is wide and longer than it is high, a trap door across one end of the bottom which is spring closed with its inner end hinged to the bottom away from said end, and a false end located inwardly of said end which false end makes the bottom of the dispenser shorter than the top, with a finger hole in the false end which is covered exteriorly by said end wall of the dispenser.

2. A generally rectilinear dispenser for milk filters which is longer than it is wide and longer than it is high, a trap door across one end of the bottom which is spring closed with its inner end hinged to the bottom away from said end, and a bag in the dispenser the end of which toward said end of the dispenser is open, which bag contains a plurality of flat, folded filters, the ends of the filters toward said end of the dispenser extending beyond the open end of the bag. 

1. A generally rectilinear dispenser for milk filters which is longer than it is wide and longer than it is high, a trap door across one end of the bottom which is spring closed with its inner end hinged to the bottom away from said end, and a false end located inwardly of said end which false end makes the bottom of the dispenser shorter than the top, with a finger hole in the false end which is covered exteriorly by said end wall of the dispenser.
 2. A generally rectilinear dispenser for milk filters which is longer than it is wide and longer than it is high, a trap door across one end of the bottom which is spring closed with its inner end hinged to the bottom away from said end, and a bag in the dispenser the end of which toward said end of the dispenser is open, which bag contains a plurality of flat, folded filters, the ends of the filters toward said end of the dispenser extending beyond the open end of the bag. 